2011/09/21: Finally have a system set up for “SubStyles” for the screenstyles. This will replace some of the clunkier option choices on the second menu page and allow for more adaptability. Not only does it change the look of the screen but it can change the standing position of sprites and logos.

I now have all the old game box styles merged into one. I’ll have clickable thumbnail pics instead of full-sized number maps for the release version. The next step is to do something similar with the multiple backgrounds. It should be easy since the SubStyles architecture has all the basics to do whatever I need to do with to the main backgrounds.

2011/09/22: Multiple backgrounds issue solved. Dig it:

This solves a lot of the issues I’ve had with the multiple background options you can choose from in the styles. The version on the site now lets you pick background parts but you also had to choose the separate front part. This new thing modifies the style as much as it needs. One choice picks both the front, back and middle background layers, changes the shadow style, colors or transparency and can even change where the sprites stand. I can combine most of those “7 people standing somewhere” styles in the Group Maker into one choice and you’ll choose the background on menu 2. Tidy. This will also let me make styles that have **deep breath** a substyle that triggers a lot of options (Box homages) and then use the Scene modifyer to do things with the picture inside that box layout.

Bonus: I tested this out on that Vs. Screen where you could pick the different background parts. I eventually got sick of making thumbnails so a made a quick PHP routine that reads the Scenemod list and spits out a bunch of automatically-named numbermap images I can save.

It beats the hell out of making each pic one by one. I have a few more styles that will need a dozens of shots like this so I’m saving a lot of time with this. Why should you care? Because saving time on the crappy stuff gives me more free time to work on sprites, backgrounds and all that. Anyone who actually read all this deserves something so here’s a little spoiler to the big update in mid-Oct./early Nov.:

Yeah, KoF sprites will be added to the Generators along with more SNK characters.

2011/10/22: I made a new GroupShot style that creates 100 by 100 pixel avatar-style graphics. I modified that automatic preview screenshot maker so that it dumps all of the shots into a temporary folder and rebuilds the graphic list file to have the new screenshot’s name. An gigabuttload of time is saved by doing that instead of manually making over 60 new shots and adding them to a flat file for the system. The avatars will have quite a few different borders including some that are just a pixel wide. Here’s a preview pic with four of them:

I still need to mess around with something I added that tries to adjust for tall sprites that go off the screen but it works well so far.

ScrollBoss is still on pause so I could work on my own characters and comics for a bit while doing behind-the-scenes work on the site along with a bit of content. I need your help to shape some of the new content for the site. Some of these will come as close as I’ll get to doing a request thread.

1.) There will be new GFX Generators geared towards making avatars and sigs you can save and use on message boards and social sites. There will be the typical square shapes but I need to know what sizes or ratios you use in these places.

2.) There will be new sprite tutorials in the future. I’m not an expert but I think I’ve figured out enough to write decent tutorials on a few things. I’m going to finish a lighting tutorial that I started long ago along with tutorials based on questions people have PM’ed me with on a message board or two. Are there any pixel art questions you’d like me to try and answer in a future tutorial?

3.) I added these old-school game boxes to the GFX Generators a while back but I’ve never really gotten any feedback on them. Did anyone like them? Do you want me to make more? I will add the top 3 requests if any are made. Yeah, that’s a big if.

4.) Are there any game logos you’d like to see converted into 64×26 pixel mini-logos that aren’t already on this mini-logos page? Don’t be too ashamed to ask for something related to your current fan-game project. I’ll make either the 5 most requested or my 5 favorites.

5.) I want to start a yearly event where other fans like you get to vote on some of your favorite gaming things. The easiest way to do this is to post a category here and have you leave a comment with your choices. Yes, this topic is also a test to see how that would go. I need to know if it’s too much trouble to leave a comment in these news posts and if you’d be willing to post here again when it’s time to vote.

Please post your answers in a comment on this weblog post so I’ll have an easier time counting up the votes. I’ll do more Request Line posts if I get enough responses to this one.

**edit**
One more thing! [/unclebill]
6.) Go to the Vs. Maker, click the “Custom Scene (384×224 pixels)” option, hit button DONE! button and look at the background image options. Are there any game backgrounds that you’d really like to see added to that list? I’ll add as many as I can.